Creativity a Must for Convincing Hatred

All the way back in 2006, members of the now infamous Westboro Baptist Church protested Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder‘s funeral. Picketing with signs that had overused and unoriginal slogans slapped onto them, like “God hates fags” and “Thank God for maimed soldiers,” the church showed everyone just how uncreative they are. Step up your game, Westboro!

Matthew Snyder’s family decided to sue the church, originally awarding the family somewhere around five mill, but then Westboro appealed the case a couple of years later, citing that their First Amendment rights were compromised, and the tables were turned, with Matt’s family being stuck with the church’s legal costs.

Today, the Supreme Court is going to hear arguments regarding funeral protests, and whether or not they’re constitutional.

As much as I enjoy offending people, I’d have to say that protesting a dead soldier’s funeral is just a bit much. However, Freedom of Speech is one of the things that supposedly sets America apart from any other country; and is exactly what these young kids are supposedly dying for: to keep the US free.

It’s understood that what the Westboro Baptist Church is doing lacks just a little bit of couth, but is it prosecutable? It seems that this is turning into a war of the political platforms (as it was expected to do), with the nutjob Republicans saying that the church should be limited in what they can and can’t do, and the pussy-footed Dems saying that they should be able to say and do whatever the fuck they want.

It seems that New York may have an encounter with the church itself this weekend, if we’re lucky. The WBC visited San Diego’s Comic-Con in July, and a visit to NYC’s this weekend is a possibility.

So, God, though you may hate virtually everyone; do me a solid and send your most committed followers our way.

1044804 Responses tohttp%3A%2F%2Fanimalnewyork.com%2F2010%2Fcreativity-a-must-for-convincing-hatred%2FCreativity+a+Must+for+Convincing+Hatred2010-10-06+18%3A00%3A42Kari+Ferrellhttp%3A%2F%2Fanimalnewyork.com%2F%3Fp%3D104480 “Creativity a Must for Convincing Hatred”

There are no "privacy rights" beyond the Fourth Amendment's unreasonable search and seizure and not quartering troops in private homes. That idea was the figment of the imagination of an earlier Supreme Court. So it is really just a question of free speech verses disturbing the peace.